<div dir="ltr"><div>Hi Ginger,</div><div><br></div>well another free Tunisian speaking :)<div>about morozov, I think that many of his points are valid. Like Khaled , I witnessed the movement through Internet (e.g. facebook and twitter) and participated as much as I can mostly in twitter (powerful for interaction), it was and still important for bypassing the media blackout (especially of local media) and let Tunisians and the rest of the world to be aware about the situation in Sidi bouzid and other towns later. The international media didn't start cover really at the beginning except Aljazeera and France24. What made this revolution successful is the spread of protests to other regions and people keeping protesting in streets for almost 4 weeks. when Tunisia revolution succeeded, another uprising in Belarus failed in the same time. Internet is powerful but revolutions are still done offline. </div>
<div>people used social media more for communication, information dissemination etc and rarely for organizing protests, the existence of grassroots structure helped in organizing and maintaining the protests. that mix between grassroots structures having experienced activists and internet worked well.</div>
<div><br></div><div>Internet will be also critical for the next steps regarding the construction of democracy, strengthening freedom of expression and other civil liberties and empowering citizens participation.</div><div>
<br></div><div>Finally, I am optimistic that troubles will start soon (in fact they are already decreasing) .</div><div><br></div><div>Regards</div><div><br clear="all"><div dir="ltr"><div>Rafik </div></div>
<br><br><div class="gmail_quote">2011/1/20 Ginger Paque <span dir="ltr"><<a href="mailto:gpaque@gmail.com">gpaque@gmail.com</a>></span><br><blockquote class="gmail_quote" style="margin:0 0 0 .8ex;border-left:1px #ccc solid;padding-left:1ex;">
<div bgcolor="#ffffff" text="#000000">
<font face="Arial">Thanks for this </font>post! It is very
interesting, particularly in juxtaposition to Evgeny Morozov's
posts. See<br>
<a href="http://www.wired.com/magazine/2010/12/st_essay_totalitarians/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+wired%2Findex+%28Wired%3A+Index+3+%28Top+Stories+2%29%29&utm_content=Google+Feedfetcher" target="_blank">http://www.wired.com/magazine/2010/12/st_essay_totalitarians/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+wired%2Findex+%28Wired%3A+Index+3+%28Top+Stories+2%29%29&utm_content=Google+Feedfetcher</a><br>
<br>
First paragraph:<br>
The Internet advances the cause of freedom more effectively than
ballistic missiles and <a href="http://news.yahoo.com/nphotos/Predator-surveillance-drone-equipped-Hellfire-missiles-US-missiles-have-killed/photo//101122/photos_wl_pc_afp/c90fce2dbd826f3ea6145570029d0a02//s:/afp/20101122/wl_asia_afp/pakistanunrestusmissile" target="_blank">Hellfire-equipped</a>
drones; at least that’s the conventional wisdom among US diplomats
and policymakers. “Information freedom supports the peace and
security that provide a foundation for global progress” is how
Secretary of State Hillary Clinton put it in a speech last January,
her first on democracy and the Internet. George W. Bush’s “freedom
agenda” is out; the Twitter agenda is in.<u> Unfortunately, this
kind of technological romanticism relies on false historical
analogies and sloppy thinking. Modern communications technologies
are already being deployed as new forms of repression.</u><br>
<br>
Best, Ginger<div><div></div><div class="h5"><br>
<br>
On 1/20/2011 8:18 AM, Khaled KOUBAA wrote:
<blockquote type="cite">All,
<br>
For those who don't know Tunisia : Tunisia is a Small country,
great nation. First Arab country that abolished slavery in 1848.
First Arab country to establish a constitution in 1861. First Arab
country to abolish polygamy in 1956. First Arab country to
legalize abortion in 1973. Tunisia is the first Arab country to
kick out its dictator and this without the help of any foreign
nation!
<br>
Today Tunisia has reached a critical and important point in its
history after succeeding in its revolution. President Ben Ali has
left the country, and government has collapsed leaving the country
in an unpredictable situation.
<br>
A new “Coalition Government” has been announced bringing old
dissidents and Human Rights activists in team with a main focus of
preparing a democratic transition.
<br>
Friday January 14th 2011, (
<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FeLT2PEmnDI" target="_blank">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FeLT2PEmnDI</a> ) I have been inside
the huge protestants in front of the ministry of Interior and I
witnessed brave people asking clearly their dictator to leave.
<br>
Since then Tunisian retrieved their freedom lost many years and
began interesting politics.
<br>
Young people went on the street asking for more n and more social
change without being politically coached.
<br>
I have witnessed, and have been part, of the strength of the
"real" Tunisian Internet community to use Internet and Web 2.0 (
Blogs, Video, Facebook, Twitter, … ) to support the revolution and
everyday’s riots showing to the world what’s happening due to a
lack of official local media coverage.
<br>
My life has been different during these days : my house is in a
hot spot; near El Aouina Army Casern and just between the Airport
and the US Embassy. So I took my wife to her father house, and I
stayed alone during 5 days. Everything was different each day;
night riots with fire shooting between protestants and police
during the first 2 days , near helicopter surveillance between
army and snipers belonging to Ben Ali Presidential militia during
the last 3days.
<br>
I have never felt the importance of the security before that. It
was the same feeling that had the Tunisian people which led them
to go out and organize “Population committees” in each city to
protect each city from Ben Ali militia.
<br>
Tunisian Internet community is free today and will show to the
world what we are capable to accomplish.
<br>
<br>
Vive Internet and thank you Vint and Internet pioneers to gave us
this wonderful tool that helped our revolution.
<br>
<br>
From the free Tunisia
<br>
<br>
Khaled Koubaa
<br>
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</div></div><div>-- <br>
<p style="margin-bottom:0in"><font face="Arial, sans-serif"><b><br>
</b></font><font color="#333333"><font face="Arial,
sans-serif"><b>Ginger
(Virginia) Paque<br>
</b></font></font><font color="#333333"><font face="Arial,
sans-serif"><span style="font-weight:normal">IGCBP
Online Coordinator<br>
DiploFoundation</span></font></font><font face="Arial,
sans-serif"><span style="font-weight:normal"><br>
<a href="http://www.diplomacy.edu/ig" target="_blank">www.diplomacy.edu/ig</a>
</span></font>
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<p style="margin-bottom:0in"><font color="#000000"><font face="Arial, sans-serif"><b>The
latest from Diplo...</b></font></font><font color="#000000"><font face="Arial, sans-serif"><br>
<a href="http://igbook.diplomacy.edu/" target="_blank">http://igbook.diplomacy.edu
</a>is the online companion to </font></font><font color="#000000"><font face="Arial, sans-serif"><i>An
Introduction to Internet Governance, </i></font></font><font color="#000000"><font face="Arial, sans-serif">Diplo's
publication on IG. Download the book, read the blogs and
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